A Love that Lasts Forever Ch. 10

"Quin. What a nice surprise. Didn't expect you in so soon." Eliza stood up from the desk as Quinton entered the warehouse office.

"Just thought I'd check on supplies." He smiled warmly at the older woman as he picked up the clip board hanging on the wall and looked over the request sheet. "Rubber sheets?" He raised an eyebrow, questioningly.

Eliza softly chuckled. "One of Sara's pups has been having accidents. She's worried he'll ruin the mattress."

"Ah." Quinton hung the clip board back on the hook and grinned. "I suppose that's something I'll have to deal with at some point."

"Oh yes, I almost forgot. Congratulations on your mating. I must say, there are quite a few disappointed omega's around here, but I'm happy for you. I always thought it was time you settled down and had a family."

"Well, the mating is only temporary. We just needed to secure a place in Black River for Caleb and his pup but I intend to be in the boys life as much as possible. Even if only as his cool uncle Quin."

"Only temporary? That's a shame. To hear Annie talk, the two of you are suited to each other."

Quinton sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. "I'm not sure Caleb is ready to even start thinking about taking on a new mate this soon. He only just lost Rhys."

"Well, either way, I'm glad he has you in his corner. From what I hear, the young man could use all the love and support we can offer. It's a dirty shame how his old pack treated him."

"It is." Quinton agreed. "He definitely deserved better."

An unspoken sense of solemnness hung in the air between them before Quinton finally broke the uneasy silence. "So, anything you need signed?"

"Just a few vouchers for building supplies. Shamus wants to get the new roof on his barn before winter hits." Eliza shuffled around the papers on her desk until she found the documents she was looking for and handed them to Quinton. He looked them over, signed them, and handed them back to her.

"If that's all." He said, "I'll go have a look around the warehouse."

Eliza nodded. "That's all I needed." She smiled as she sat back down behind the desk. "I'll have the order reports sent to your office at the end of the month."

"Sounds good." Quinton gave her a quick nod then excused himself from the room. The warehouse was one large storage area about the size of a small discount store. The open space was utilized by arranging multiple shelves throughout that held anything from canned goods, to discounted clothing items. It very much resembled a thrift store with an assortment of second hand items as well as new.

One shelf near the front of the building was used to store personal orders until they could be picked up or delivered. The majority of items were things that were common place, everyday items, that every pack member had access to. Orders would be called in to Eliza for items needed and the price would be deducted from personal accounts. Specialty items could be ordered as well however, those took longer to procure than the other items.

Pack members were, of course, allowed to shop in town if they wanted though many chose not to as the humans weren't always agreeable to having shifters in their stores. Quinton held several contracts with locals vendors who supplied the pack with inventory though they charged an arm and a leg. Quinton had no choice but to pay the outrageous prices though since finding humans who would actually sell to him wasn't the easiest of tasks.

Quinton would love to have the pack more self sustaining so he wouldn't have to rely on humans for so much but that wasn't an easy feat to accomplish. The pack had no manufacturing plants and frankly, no room to build any. The land utilized for farming was far smaller than what they actually needed and they yielded mostly vegetables, as there wasn't enough room for live stock other than a few chicken coops.

With the growing number of families in the pack, most of the space was used for housing. Before long he'd have to seriously consider expanding pack lands but that was such an ordeal. He'd have to get permission not only from the shifter council but also the human government, who kept close tabs on the growing shifter population.

Quinton didn't think it would be long before humans started imposing limits on shifter procreation. The last thing they wanted was for the shifter community to begin outnumbering the humans. There had already been talk of population control. What they had in mind for that, Quinton had no idea, but he knew it couldn't be anything good. If human-shifter relations didn't improve soon, they could find themselves embroiled in another civil war.

It was a concern for sure, but not one that required his immediate attention. If it did happen, it wasn't going to be for quite a few years. He hoped anyway. His more pressing concerns took the forefront of his mind, For now his main concern was figuring out how to juggle being pack Alpha as well as a mate, and step father.

It seemed odd to think of himself in that regard. Rhylan is his nephew but in this new role he also has to act as a father to the pup. Much the way he had to step up and be a father to Rhys when he was still young. Being a father to a temperamental teenager wasn't easy. They had butted heads far too many times for Quinton's liking but that was just how siblings behaved and teenage alphas weren't known for being easygoing. They were aggressive and often volatile.

Quinton had gotten into some knock-out drag-out fights in his day but Rhys was worse. He often speculated that Rhys felt he had something to prove, growing up in his older brothers shadow. He wondered if that was why Rhys was always so impulsive and at times, reckless. Quinton was the rational one. The one who always thought things through before acting but Rhys would just charge in head first, consequences be damned.

In a way Quinton almost envied Rhys's spontaneity. He envied the freedom to do as one wanted and come and go as one pleased without the constraints of responsibility. Living life on the whim of ones desires wasn't something that Quinton had the luxury of exploring. Not when he was responsible for the welfare of an entire pack.

When he was younger, maybe Rhys way of life had held some appeal to Quinton but as he grew older he'd come to realize that he was right where he was meant to be. He was meant to be a leader and maybe, being someone's mate wasn't such a bad thing. He wasn't a young pup anymore and most of the pack had been nagging him to settle down with a nice omega and start a family. Maybe Caleb wasn't the one he was meant to spend his life with. Their arrangement was only temporary but at least it would give him some good practice for when his true mate did reveal himself.

In the mean time though he'd be the best mate possible. Caleb deserved to be taken care of for once. Even if he wasn't the one Quinton was meant to have, he could make his life a bit more comfortable. He was pack now after all, and Quinton was responsible for all pack members, young or old. That's what a good Alpha did. They took care of their own and Caleb was his now, at least for the foreseeable future.

Quinton made his way through the isles of supplies, just glancing over everything, seeing what was low, or what was in over stock (no use wasting resources on things people weren't using) when he stopped in front of a small table near the very back of the building. It was just your average folding table, something they sometimes used when room was limited.

Quinton was used to seeing things like used clothes or a few random nick knacks that someone had purchased but then didn't want or even things that were donated. A couple of the older women often hand made reviving blankets and donated them for whoever needed one. In the winter one might find knitted gloves, hats, or scarves, and every so often you could even find home made art.

These types of things were usually placed near the office so pack members could come by and look through the contents themselves to see what they might want, but as it was still early Quinton figured the warehouse staff just hadn't gotten around to setting the items out yet. Lucky for him, he thought, that he was the first to see the table.

Immediately something caught his eye. Something that he wouldn't often find sitting in the back of the warehouse, because it wasn't something that was common place in shifter society. It was a hemp cord with a white-gold half moon hung in the center of it. Quinton picked the necklace up and held it in his hand. It was a little strange to see something like that in the pack because most shifters didn't wear any form of jewelry as it would break during shifting or worse, get fused into the skin.

It just wasn't practical to wear such things and a lot of shifters felt that necklaces were too similar to the times before the war when humans would put collars on shifters in an attempt to control them. This necklace, however, felt less like a restraint and more like an homage to their heritage. Quinton didn't know why, but he could suddenly see himself slipping the necklace over Caleb's head and the half moon resting against the space between his chest and neck.

Quinton could imagine Caleb wearing it, the gold shimmering against his delicate flesh as the sun hit the metal. Of course he couldn't wear it all the time, but maybe on special occasions, when the need to shift wouldn't be an issue. It would be different because Quinton was sure Caleb had never had anything like it. No one did. It was unique in shifters, but then Caleb was unique so the idea of something different suited him.

Quinton smiled when he thought of the look on Caleb's face when presented with the small gift. He was sure that Caleb would appreciate it, even if it wasn't a gift that would be normally given a mate or even a potential mate but then again, they weren't actually courting, were they? It was just a gift. From one friend to another. A 'welcome to the pack' gift. Of course Caleb would like it.

Quinton walked back to the office, the necklace still in his hand, and popped his head in. "I'm taking this, if it's okay." Quinton said, holding the necklace up for Eliza to see. "It wasn't made special for anyone was it?"

Eliza looked up, squinting her eyes to see what he was holding. "Oh, that. Macy Caddel makes those to sell in town. Apparently some humans go crazy for things they think are shifter heritage. I think that piece there was left over from what didn't sell last month."

"How much does she charge for them?" Quinton reached into his packet for his wallet but Eliza waved her hand, telling him not to worry about it.

"Take it. She put it on the donation table for anyone that wants it. Personally, I didn't think anyone would take any interest in it but you're more than welcome to it."

"Thanks." Quinton smiled as he slipped the necklace into his pants pocket. "It's different for sure, but that's the appeal." He seemed almost excited as he waved goodbye then left the building. He really did hope Caleb would like it. He didn't know why but the thought of Caleb accepting the gift and his eyes lighting up when he saw it (he did have beautiful eyes) just made Quinton beam in a way he couldn't quite explain.

There were other things he should check on, other people he needed to speak with but that could all wait. It was still early and Quinton really wanted to get back to the house, back to Caleb. That was an odd thought he realized. Caleb was probably happy to have the house to himself for a while but for some reason, Quinton's thoughts kept returning to the man.

Maybe it was due to his early morning surprise. Honestly, Quinton had never expected any special treatment. He'd expected it to be just like any other day. His alarm had gone off and he'd groggily dragged himself out of bed and then into the master bath in his room where he quickly showered, then dressed himself. He'd planned to go down stairs, make a cup of instant coffee in the microwave, then head out to work like any other day.

This wasn't like any other day though. It was the first time in a long time that Quinton had awoken to someone else being in the house. He'd momentarily forgotten about his guests until he'd opened his bedroom door and got a whiff of the sweet and delectable aroma that was wafting up the stairs from the kitchen below. At once, his mouth began to water and his stomach growled.

As he'd made his way down stairs another scent rose up to greet him. A most welcome scent. Coffee. And not the instant stuff he was used to drinking nearly every morning, but fresh brewed coffee, rich and dark and steaming. The smell of food led him hungrily into the kitchen where he saw Caleb quickly dishing out a stack of perfectly made pancakes onto a large serving plate.

He turned and smiled when he saw Quinton. "Sit down." He told him, indicating to the small kitchen table sat against a window near the entryway. Quinton turned and looked at the table once littered with anything from old newspapers to empty shopping bags. Honestly, the table had been a catch-all for anything that Quinton couldn't find a place for or was too busy to put away. It had been years since he'd even seen the surface of that table but now, it was completely cleaned off, wiped down, and ready to be used for it's indented purpose.

"Wow." Quinton had remarked as he took his seat at the table. "How long have you been up?"

Caleb shrugged, a slight blush colored his cheeks. "Since around five." He'd admitted. "Rhylan needed changed and fed and besides, I'm an early riser. Always had been."

He'd sat the plate of pancakes down in the center of table along with a bottle of syrup and a small tub of butter then turned to the cupboard beside the sink and took down two coffee mugs that he quickly filled with coffee.

"I didn't even know I had all this food in the house." Quinton chuckled.

"You didn't." Caleb said as he sat the coffee mugs on the table in front of their place settings. After that he returned to the stove and began to lay out slices bacon into the already heated pan. The bacon began to sizzle at once and Caleb began to move them around with a fork so they wouldn't burn.

"I'd mentioned to Annie yesterday that I would need to do some shopping because you really didn't have a lot in the way of food. I was going to ask you about that today but then there was a knock on the door around five-thirty so I answered it and was surprised by a young beta carrying a box of groceries. He said he'd been told to deliver it here and at first I thought you had ordered it but then I found this in the box." He handed Quinton a small post card that had been laying on the counter next to a loaf of fresh bread.

Quinton read over the note and was instantly filled with a warmth of pride and appreciation for his fellow pack mate.

Quin and Caleb, I know you don't have much food in the house right now and you probably haven't been able to get to supplies yet so, I'm sending over this care package that should at least get you through the morning. Enjoy and congratulations again.

Love Annie.

"That was really thoughtful of her." Quinton remarked, setting the note gently to the side. "I should have put in an order for groceries but I honestly didn't even think about it. I've had so many other things on my mind."

"It's okay." Caleb said as he dished out the bacon onto a separate plate then placed it too on the table. "I totally understand and actually, I'm really glad that Annie did this. I have no idea what foods you even like so I would have been at a loss on what to ask for."

Quinton chuckled a bit. "Honestly, I'll eat pretty much anything that doesn't try to eat me first."

Caleb grinned. "So, bear and mountain lion are off the menu, good to know."

Quinton choked out a laugh through a mouthful of pancake. "Never had either though I hear bear is pretty good, if not a bit stringy."

Caleb shrugged. "Wouldn't know. I grew up mostly on wild game. Venison, rabbit, squirrel. Chicken or beef was a rare treat and I almost never got pork. That kind of stuff was reserved for alphas. I got whatever scraps were left, or nothing at all."

Quinton shook his head as a small growl escaped his lips, startling Caleb briefly. "The more I hear about your old pack, the more I want to level the place to the ground. You never have to worry about going hungry here or feel like you have to pick and choose what you eat. What's mine is yours and if there is anything you want or need, don't hesitate to ask."

The blush rose up Caleb's face once more and he smiled warmly at Quinton. "Thank you." He said softly. "That means so much to me, you have no idea."

Caleb had really outdone himself. Quinton couldn't deny that. The man could cook and so far, of what he'd already tasted, it was damn good. That didn't really surprise him though. Most omega's were good at the domestic stuff like cooking and cleaning and child rearing. Black River just didn't push those skills the way some other packs did. In Black River, they had a choice.

Quinton realized suddenly that he'd never really discussed Caleb's role in the pack. As a single shifter he would of course be expected to work and earn a wage but as a mated omega he could choose to be a homemaker and a full time father, if that was what he wanted. Quinton assumed with Rhylan being so young yet that Caleb would want to be home with him as much as possible but in another month or so that could change.

It was definitely something they would have to talk about. Either way, Quinton didn't care, and he wasn't about to force Caleb to do something that he didn't want to do. In the end, the decision was Caleb's and Caleb's alone. At least while they were still mated. After the three months were up and Caleb was free to stay in Black River without the council breathing down their necks he would have some important decisions to make about his future. Where to live and of course he'd need a job. Quinton would still help where he could of course, and Caleb had access to whatever funds were in Rhys' account.

Shit. Quinton suddenly realized that he'd never even checked Rhys' account to see what he even had. All of it would go to Caleb and Rhylan of course as well as personal belongings that had been left at Quinton's home. He hadn't even brought that subject up to Caleb yet. Rhys didn't have a lot of stuff but what he did have was kept securely in an upstairs room that Rhys used when he was home. Soon he would have to show it to Caleb and allow Caleb to go through his things and decide what he wanted to keep and what could be donated. Quinton himself just wasn't sure if he were even ready for that. It all seemed so...final.

Yeah, all that could come later. Right now he had one thought in his mind. He smiled as he patted the pocket that held the necklace. Even if Caleb didn't want to wear it, the gesture was still there, and Quinton figured that Caleb would appreciate it more simply because he probably wasn't used to getting random gifts out of the blue. He wasn't sure if Rhys had ever surprised Caleb with anything special but he was almost certain that no one in Silver Moon ever had. It was a damn shame too. If Caleb had been born in Black River, he'd have a line of single young alphas bringing him courting gifts.

Were omega's even courted in Silver Moon? He wondered. Or were all mating's simply a contract between an alpha and the omega's family? If that were the case, how many omega's were forced into mating's just because they had no choice? Well, they did have a choice Quinton supposed. Like Caleb, they could have chosen to run. Quinton was actually surprised that more hadn't. But then again, the fear of an unknown future was probably worse than a mating with someone they didn't love.